Combination seed merchandising and germinating package



R. D. KOBS July` 7, 1959 COMBINATION SEED MERCHANDISING AND GERMINATINGPACKAGE Original Filed Feb. 27, 1957 xlllllllnI 2 Sheets-Sheet 1IIIHIIIVHU' VVVlVir "www" llllllllllll' July7, 1959 R. D. KoBs 2,893,168

COMBINATION SEED MERCHANDISING AND GERMINATING PACKAGE originalFiledreb. 27, 1957 2 sheets-sheet 2 INVENTOR.

2,893,168 Patented July 7, 1959 ice CoMBNA'rIoN SEED MERCHANDISING ANDGERMINATING PACKAGE Roger D. Kobs, Minneapolis, Minn., assignor toNorthrup,

King & Co., Minneapolis, Minn., a corporation of Minnesota Continuationof application Serial No. 642,871, February 27, 1957. This applicationMay '5, 1958, Serial No. 733,801

11 Claims. (Cl. 47--37) My invention relates to devices for germinatingof garden seeds for subsequent transplanting and more particularly to anovel combination seed merchandising and germinating package.

This application is a continuation of my co-pendin-g application SerialNo. 642,871, iiled February 27, 1957, and 'formally allowed of dateMarch 2l, 1958, now abandoned,Combination Seed Merchandising andGerminating Package, and incorporates a merchandising and germinatingcontainer containing potting material, such as vermiculite, into which aplurality of spaced seeds have been placed.

Devices of this character have heretofore been considered commerciallyunfeasible because due to vibrations essential to transportation,storage and other miscellaneous handling, the seeds fail to maintain theneccessary lateral spacing with respect to each other, as well as thenecessary extent of burial in the potting material, required to producesatisfactory results. Consequently,germination of the seeds within thepotting material has not been uniform, if, in truth, the extent ofburial of the seeds did not positively preclude germination.

The primary object of my invention is the provision of a combinationseed merchandising and germinating package,rincluding a containercontaining dry granular potting material, such as vermiculite, and anydesired number of seeds, wherein means is provided for positivelyspacing the seeds `laterally while temporarily anchoring lthe same at adesired level in the potting material.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a device of theclass above described wherein a removable top or cover for saidcontainer, formed from readily puncturable sheet material, forms animportant part of the temporary seed anchoring means.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a device of theclass described wherein the said removable top includes a at portionformed to provide a plurality of laterally spaced dibbles which projectdownwardly into the potting material andyform an important part of theseed anchoring means.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a device of theclass immediately above described wherein each of the undersurfaces ofsaid dibbles are treated with water soluble glue in which one or moreseeds is temporarily anchored or adhered.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a device of theclass immediately above described wherein the marginal wall of saidcontainer projects aboveI the plane of said flat portion and denestherewith a water receiving well.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a device of theclass immediately above described in which the marginal edge portion ofsaid cover defines an inverted channel-shaped portion which snuglyreceives the marginal edge of said container.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a device of theclass above described wherein said container is divided into a pluralityof upwardly opening pot-forming compartments each `containing 4drygranular potting material, and in which the dibbles in said top arecentrally located one each with respect to one of said compartments.

A still further object of my invention is the provision of a device ofthe class immediately above described in which said top is formed fromreadily puncturable plastic material whereby germination of the seeds inthe several compartments may be instantly and simultaneously effected bypuncturing the dibbles with a pointed pencil or the like and thereafteriilling the Water-receiving well in said top with water to moisten thepotting material and dissolve the seed positioning glue.

A still further object of my invention is the provision of seedmerchandising and germinating packages containing potting material andhaving in combination therewith novel tops, said tops being formed fromreadily puncturable transparent sheet material and including ilathorizontally disposed portions and upstanding marginal edge portionswhich together dene moisture-receiving wells, said fiat horizontalportions being formed to define laterally spaced dibbles which extendinto said potting material and introduce moisture into areas of saidpotting material adjacent said dibbles, upon puncturing of said dibbles.

A further object of my invention is the provision of a combination seedmerchandising and germinating package which may be produced in greatquantities at a relatively low cost, which is highly efficient in thecarrying out of its intended function, and which may be subjected torough treatment in shipment,rstorage, and the like, without affectingsaid efficiency. Y i i The above and still further objects of myVinvention will become apparent from the following detailedspecification, appended claims, and attached drawings.

Referring to the drawings wherein like characters lindicate like partsthroughout the several views:

Fig. l is a view in top plan of the container of my novel structure;Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation of the structure of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view in top plan of the n ovel top for the container of Fig.1;

Fig. 4 is a view in side elevation of the structure of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged view in longitudinal section of the novel cover ofmy device illustrating one of the steps' in the formation of the nishedproduct, some parts being broken away;

Fig. 6 is a view corresponding to Fig. 5 but showing a still furtherstep in the formation thereof; and

Fig. 7 is a transverse section through my completed novel unit andillustrating the method of initiating the germination of seeds withinthe compartments thereof.

Referring with greater particularity to the drawings, the numeral 1indicates in its entirety a container preferably formed from anysuitable light-weight moisture resistant material Ysuch as a moldedplastic. The container 1 is provided with a plurality ofpartition-forming walls 2 which define individual pots 3 for thereception of suitable potting material 4 such as granular expandedvermiculite, which is relatively inexpensive and is extremely light inweight, particularly when initially inserted in an unmoistenedcondition. The upstanding marginal wall 5 of the container 1, preferablyand as shown particularly in Fig. 7, is formed to provide an upstandingmarginal edge portion 6 which projects above the upper limits 7 of thepartition-forming walls Z, for a purpose which will hereinafter becomeapparent. Also preferably and as shown, the bottom edge portions 8 ofthe marginal wall 5 are joined together by a dat baseforming member 9,for the purpose of imparting stability to the container 1.

Adapted to cooperate with the container 1 immediately above described,is a coverlidentiiied in its entirety by the numeral 10. Cover 10 islikewise formed from a suitable plastici sheet material, preferablytransparent, and which is readily puncturable, for a purpose which willhereinafter be explained. Cover 10 includes an inverted channel-shapedmarginal edge portion 11 which, as shown particularly in Fig. 7, isadapted to snugly receive therein the upstanding marginal edge portion 6of the container 1. Also the cover 10 includes a horizontally disposedflat plate-like portion 12 below the level of the invertedchannel-shaped marginal edge portion 1.1, said portions 11 and 12together forming a water-receiving well 13.

At transversely and longitudinally spaced points, the platea-likeportion 12 is formed to provide generally conical recesses or hollowdibbles 14, one each of which is generally centrally located inioverlying relationship to one of said pots 3. As will be noted,particularly with reference to Fig. 7, the downwardly projecting lowerend portions 15 of the dibbles 14 project downwardly into the pottingmaterial 4 at a distance which is found to be most ideal for germinationof seeds of a given type.

Fig. illustrates the manner in which the under-surfaces 16 of the lowerend portions 15 of the dibbles 14 are submerged in a water soluble glueX within a suitable container Y, whereby to form an adhesive coating 17thereon. While the coating 17 is still in a plastic state, the. lowerend portions 15 of the dibbles 14 are lowered` into a bed Z of seeds 18of a desired type whereby to cause one or more of said seeds 18 tobecome temporarily anchored or adhered to the undersurfaces 16 of thelower end portions 15 when the coating 17 is permitted to dry.Thereafter, the cover is placed over the container 1, as shown in Fig. 7and a unitary package is formed which may be subjected to roughtreatment in shipment and storage without dislodging of the seeds 18from the undersurfaces 16 of the lower end portions of the dibbles 14. l

When it is desired to germinate the seeds 18 upon the lower end portions15, it is but necessary to puncture the lower end portions A15 with `anyconvenient pointed instrument such as a pencil A, as shown in Fig. 7.Thereafter, the water-receiving well 13 'and the hollowdibbles 14 arefilled with water. The water ilters through the puncturedvopenings 19 inthe lower end portions 15 and into the potting material 4 in the severalcompartmented potsrnV In due course, the moisture in the several pots 3is sufficient to dissolve the layer 17 of glue X on the undersurfaces 16of the llower end portions 15 and release therefrom the seeds 18, saidseeds 18 obviously being then properly centered and at the desired levelin the potting material for best growing conditions. After V'thereleased seeds 18 have been caused to germinate, by a combination ofmoisture and heat, the latter of which is preferably at least in partcaused by the suns rays permitted to pass through the transparent cover10, the cover 10 is removed and the small plants emanatingV from thesaid seeds 18 are permitted to grow to a desired size for transplanting.The transparency of the cover 10 is again an important factor inenabling one to observe the state of germination of the seeds 18, to determine the proper time'for the removal of said cover 10 fr'om'thecontainer 1.

Growing of the seeds 1S in granular potting material, such asvermiculite, permits the roots of the small plants to be readilyseparated without damaging same immediately prior to 'transplanting Myinvention has been thoroughly tested and found to Vb'e completelysatisfactory for the accomplishment of the above objects, and while Ihave disclosed a preferred embodiment thereof, it should be obvious thatsame is capable of modiiication without departure from the scope andspirit of the 'appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. An open topped container l'avin'g potting vmaterial therein, a topfor said container formed from readily fracturable transparent sheetmaterial, and a hollow dibble formed in said top in spaced relationshipto the marginal edges thereof, said dibble projecting downwardly intosaid potting material and serving as a water receiving well, waterwithin said well beingreleased vinto said potting material uponpuncturing of said dibble.

2. The structure defined in claim l in further combination with meansremovably securing at least one seed to the lower end portion of saiddibble.

3. A seed merchandising and germinating unit comprising a containerhaving upstanding marginal walls and containing potting material, acover for said container formed from generally at transparent readilyfracturable plastic sheet material to define a flat portion and aplurality of laterally spaced dibbles which project downwardly therefrominto the potting material when said cover is in' operative position,said dibbles being readily puncturable with the undersurface of each ofsaid dibbles being treated with water soluble glue in which one or moreseeds is temporarily securely adhered.

4. The structure defined in claim 3 in which the marginal wall of saidcover projects above the horizontal plane of the flat portion thereofand denes therewith a water receiving well.

5. A seed germinating unit comprising a pot-forming container having aquantity of potting material therein and 'a cover for said container,said cover including a downwardly projecting hollow dibble formed fromreadily puncturable material and dening a liquid receiving well, saiddibble being generally centrally disposed in respect to said containerwith the lower end portion thereof extending into the potting materialwith the undersurface of the lower end portion of the dibble beingtreated with water soluble glue in which at least one seed istemporarily securely adhered.

6. The structure dened in claim 5 wherein said cover is formed fromtranslucent plastic material.

7. The structure deiined in claim 5 wherein said cover is formed fromtransparent plastic material.

8. A seed germinating unit comprising a pot-forming container having aquantity of potting material therein, a cover for said containerincluding a downwardly projecting hollow dibble formed from readilypuncturable material and defining a liquid receiving well, said dibblebeing generally centrally disposed in respect to said container with thelower end portion thereof extending into the potting material and meansremovably securing at least one seed to the lower end portion of thedibble for positioning such seed in the potting material adjacent tosaid liquid receiving well.

A seed germinating unit comprising a pot-forming container having aquantity of potting material therein, a cover for said containerincluding a downwardly projecting hollow dibble formed from a readilypuncturable material, said dibble being generally centrally disposed inrespect to Vsaid container with the lower end portion thereof extendinginto the potting material and means removably securing at least one seedto the lower end portion of the dibble, said hollow dibble dening aliquid receiving well so that liquid may be transferred -from said wellinto the potting material when the dibble is punctured.

l0. A seed merchandising and germinating unit comprising, a containerhaving generally upstanding partitionforming walls dividing thecontainer into at least one potforming compartment for retaining aquantity-of potting material therein, a cover for said containerincluding a downwardly projecting hollow dibble generally centrallydisposed in respect to each pot-forming compartment and formed fromreadily puncturable material with the lower portion wthereof terminatingwithin the respective potforming compartment below the 'upper marginaledge of the partition-forming walls and defining a liquid receiving wellfor the `respective pot-forming compartment and means removably securingatleast one seed to the lower end portion of each dibble.

11. A seed merchandising and germinating unit comprising, a containerhaving an upstanding marginal wall and partition-forming walls dividingsame into a plurality of upwardly opening pot-forming compartments eachcontaining potting material, -a cover for said container formed fromgenerally flat transparent plastic sheet material to define a pluralityof dibbles one each centrally positioned within one of said pot-formingcompartments and projecting downwardly into the potting material thereinwhen said cover is in operative position, vsaid dibbles being readilypuncturable with the undersurface of each of said dibbles being treatedwith water soluble glue in which one or more seeds is temporarilysecurely adhered, the upstanding marginal wall of said containerprojecting above the level of the partition-forming walls thereof, saidcover being formed to dene an inverted channelshaped marginal edgeportie-n which snugly receives the upstanding marginal wall of saidcontainer, the dibbles and relatively flat portion of said cover beingdisposed below the marginal edge portion thereof and dening a 10water-receiving well therewith.

No references cited.

